Luigi Mangione news: Attorney General Pam Bondi confirms prosecutors will seek death penalty for CEO killing

Luigi Mangione, the internet sensation accused of the assassination of UnitedHealth Care chief executive Brian Thompson, could face the death penalty if prosecuted at the White House’s request.

Mangione is accused of shooting Mr Thompson dead on a New York street on December 4, an alleged act that sparked a nationwide manhunt for a masked man.

The incident, occurring outside a Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, sparked an unusual online movement, with the world becoming fascinated by a man dubbed the “hot assassin”.

The 26-year-old man fled New York on a bus after the alleged assassination, before later being found at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, days after the shocking incident.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday called Mangione’s actions “an act of political violence”, revealing the Department of Justice had been instructed to seek the death penalty for the infamous internet sensation.

“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Ms Bondi said in a statement.

“After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

The statement alleged that Mangione’s actions “involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed (a) grave risk of death to additional persons”.

Luigi Mangione’s lawyer responds to death penalty announcement

Karen Agnifilo, Mangione’s lawyer, condemned MS Bondi’s decision.

“By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric,” Agnifilo said in a statement.

“Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent,” the attorney said.

“While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the premeditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi,” Ms Agnifilo said.

“By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorise the American people.”

Mangione was hit with federal charges on December 19, 2024.

In February, US District Judge Katherine Parker appointed an attorney who is a death-penalty expert to Mangione’s legal team at the request of the Federal Defenders of New York, an independent organisation that represents indigent defendants.

Mangione is being prosecuted in US District Court in Manhattan with federal crimes, including murder, stalking, and firearms charges, related to Mr Thompson’s killing.

Thompson, whose company is the largest payer of health insurance benefits in the United States, was headed into the hotel for an investor meeting of its parent, UnitedHealth Group

- With CNBC